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IMDb > Heaven's Gate (1980)
Heaven's Gate
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Heaven's Gate (1980) More at IMDbPro »

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Heaven's Gate (1980) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   4,277 votes
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MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 29% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Michael Cimino (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Heaven's Gate on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 November 1980 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
What one loves about life are the things that fade. more
Plot:
Michael Cimino's bleak anti-western based on events in 1890s Wyoming. Sheriff James Averill attempts... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Robin Wood, 1931 - 2009
 (From The Auteurs. 25 December 2009, 6:06 AM, PST)

Who do you read? Good Roger, or Bad Roger?
 (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 15 December 2009, 9:18 PM, PST)

User Reviews:
A Masterpiece - I Thought There Were Only Three Of Us more (140 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kris Kristofferson ... James Averill

Christopher Walken ... Nathan D. Champion

John Hurt ... Billy Irvine

Sam Waterston ... Frank Canton

Brad Dourif ... Mr. Eggleston

Isabelle Huppert ... Ella Watson
Joseph Cotten ... The Reverend Doctor

Jeff Bridges ... John L. Bridges
Ronnie Hawkins ... Major Wolcott

Paul Koslo ... Mayor Charlie Lezak

Geoffrey Lewis ... Trapper Fred
Richard Masur ... Cully
Rosie Vela ... Beautiful girl (as Roseanne Vela)
Mary Catherine Wright ... Nell (as Mary C. Wright)
Nicholas Woodeson ... Small man
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate (USA) (complete title)
The Johnson County Wars (USA) (original script title)
more
Runtime:
149 min (re-cut) | 219 min (original cut)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)
Certification:
Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Germany:12 (video rating) | Brazil:14 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Real horses' entrails were used to add realism to the gorier scenes. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: In real life, James Averill attended Cornell, not Harvard. more
Quotes:
Captain Minardi: Do you know what I really dislike about you, Jim? You're a rich man with a good name. You only pretend to be poor. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Luonteita: Renny Harlin (1990) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
The Battle Hymn of the Republic more

FAQ

The 1985 first edition of Stephen Bach's book, what was its original title?
more
65 out of 106 people found the following review useful.
A Masterpiece - I Thought There Were Only Three Of Us, 15 March 2004
9/10
Author: Jack Landman from San Antonio, TX

Until today, I thought there only three people, including me, who considered Heaven's Gate (1980)to be a masterpiece and perhaps the last great western, (since the 1970), after, Little Big Man (1970), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and The Long Riders (1980).

I was stunned and pleased to see that 22.5% of those voting at IMDB rate this movie a 10, as do I. A recent book, the Worst Movies of All Time, includes Heaven's Gate. Through it's production and release it was vilified, as no movie since Cleopatra, almost twenty years before. At one time it was considered the most expensive over-budget movie of all time, surpassing even Cleopatra. It was blamed for the downfall of its studio, United Artists, until everyone finally saw all the studios were falling. Michael Cimino, fresh from his glory with the Deer Hunter was hated and despised for his success and movie making excess, but clearly, that was petty jealousy at its worst.

Cimino ended up fashioning one of the great expositions of the American experience. This film is not to be missed but any serious student of American filmmaking.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Heaven's Gate (1980)
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Tried to watch for the first time.....nope simingsm
The Soundtrack simingsm
Long version vs. short version betaman8
Why were the Male and Female Leads... Owlman8
Animals harmed emma391
Perplexity about script loopholes michel.lejeune2
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